An Introduction to Wine

As I sit here enjoying a glass of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Los Vascos 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, I want to welcome to the launching of Vino de Venus: A Wine Blog. For those of you wine aficionados, this will be a great way to increase your wine knowledge, try a few known or unknown wines, and explore the Wine regions of the world. For those of you who are new to wine or just beer drinkers period, know that not only do wine & beer go hand in hand (and I am not just refering to government licenses) but this site will help you see wine in a new light and find a few that you will enjoy drinking.

If you are reading this, more than likely you are a wine enthusiast. Or a friend or relative. But you are in luck. Through this site you will be learning wine basics, from the different types of varietals, to why the goofy rituals such as studying the color of a wine, to swirling the glass and describing the aromas and flavors that go with them. But we will do this in simple terms, no wine snobs here! If you have a favorite wine that you love or a great story about enjoying wine, feel free to write a comment on it.

For now, I'll give you some of the well known and a few lesser know varietals that we will be exploring more in-depth later. Maybe one of these will spark your interest and will prompt you to buy a bottle and try it out. Starting with White Wines:

You've heard of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Moscato. How about trying Albarino, Chenin Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Marsanne, Roussanne, Torrontes and Viognier.
For reds you've probably tried Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah & Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Zinfandel. But have you tried a Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Grenache, or Nebbiolo? Those are just few of the topics we will be exploring.

If your head is already spinning (and not because of too much wine), know that it is ok. For now just remember: it's not about how much a bottle of wine costs, or how many points it got by Robert Parker (we'll talk about him later), just drink what you like and like what you drink. Wine is about the story, the enjoyment and the people you share all of that with.